On Topic Million dollar question. Cost Associated with racing Baja 1k?

[Team Rivera]

I know ! If you have to ask you probably can’t afford it, but ....
What’s everyones minimum ballpark budget for a thousand mile race in Baja in a full size car or truck?
Minus the initial car cost and prep etc.
Im talking about....
Racer entry fee Co driver fee
Gas for race car averaging 10 mpg
Gas per chase vehicle per day
Room and board per person per day
Who pits with who and why, BFG, locos etc.

We’re looking to enter this years race. Potentially class 2k, full size stock, 7200, utv.
Not sure yet but we’re strongly leaning towards class 2k or full size stock as a finish alone would be a class win .




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[43mod]

full size and 10 MPG . Chase trucks probably should average 35 mpg I would guess.

 

[motoman29]

You nailed it in your thread title. One Million Dollars! jk.

It varies a TON based on how well prepared you are and the size of your chase crew.

IMO, If you are just starting to plan now, you are late.

Racer entry fee Co driver fee
$4-$5k depending on class
Gas for race car averaging 10 mpg
Budget based on 6mpg (race fuel is a small portion)
Gas per chase vehicle per day
Varies a TON based on chase plan, and chase vehicles. Some chase trucks get 5 mpg, some get 20 mpg
Room and board per person per day
Hotels can be as much as $200 per night, or way less if you get a house
Who pits with who and why, BFG, locos etc.
$750-$2000 depends

See how hard it is to give real good estimates without better info.

You could do a stock ish UTV with one chase truck and 2 crew, using Baja Pits and probably spend under $7500.

You could also spend $75,000 on a well prepped and planned effort in Stock Full or similar class

 

[43mod]

TL 1275 miles $22k all spent South of the border. 1 North chase ,2 chase all the way down. Full course pre run included. NO prep costs,NO costs in the USA included at all. 7.0 mpg w 4 banger. Worth every penny.

 

[swiftracing5]

$10k if you watch every dollar for a loop 1000. Could easily push 15-20 for things like “race gas” and lodging Etc.

You will hear a lot of cliches in off road, but one that I learned the hard way is trying to save money and cut corners and still expect success. Spend the money on good tires, get good gas, get the nice lodging, prerun, prep as if it’s the biggest race of your life. Don’t go there with the thought that “I’m just going for a finish so why prerun hard or do a full prep”.

X2 for BFG pits. You could save thousands if you don’t have to supply 2 or 3 of your own pit crews.

 

[Kiwiflyer]

full size and 10 MPG . Chase trucks probably should average 35 mpg I would guess.

35 mpg !? More like 13


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[Josh 8]

Are you going to prerun? Are you going to to have a chase crew during the prerun? How many mouth will you have to feed if you prerun and beds to supply on your dime?

Are you going to prerun for 3 days or 12?

The cost just go up.

And btw, you really need to prerun. Prerunning Baja is a huge step for the driver and chasers. And a huge amount of preparadness to you effort.

Then it’s racing. So what ever you come up with it’s light. If you started thinking 25k it’s more like 50k.

You didn’t ask this. But the Norra m1k cost about 1/2 or a 1/3 of the b1k. How? One chaser, no prerunning, and less time if you were going to prerun. And smoother (less thrash).

 

[firedog]

When we do a 1000 to La Paz we will spend 20k. We rent houses for the crew but the crew pays their own way (beer, food, travel expenses). I wish we could pay the expenses for the crew but it's not in the cards. We have a great group of dedicated friends who love to share Baja with us!! Very blessed!!! We do not prerun, too much $$$.

 

[JBSTEVENS44]

We spent close to 25k last year for our bike team with three chase trucks.
We did spend a couple days after in La Paz. It could be done a little cheaper but not much and it probably wouldn’t be very enjoyable.

 

[nimrod]

Don’t ask. It’s one of those things you dive into cause you’ve been told it’s within your budget then you spend twice what you expected. You’re pretty late to the party for this year so get moving now.

 

[Team Rivera]

$10-20k was the initial ballpark number I came up with . Maybe need do bump it another 10.


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[Team Rivera]

Don’t ask. It’s one of those things you dive into cause you’ve been told it’s within your budget then you spend twice what you expected. You’re pretty late to the party for this year so get moving now.

I agree with the cost , It’s always 2x. But we still have time , race and chase vehicles are ready teams on stand by. Registrations not even open yet. Still need to get through sema , tech, prerun, long road no doubt . I’m estimating $10-20k for the team we’re taking.


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[Team Rivera]

We spent close to 25k last year for our bike team with three chase trucks.
We did spend a couple days after in La Paz. It could be done a little cheaper but not much and it probably wouldn’t be very enjoyable.

Dam 25k for a bike team? What was your teams daily Paris per diem?


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[BajaboundMoto]

Dam 25k for a bike team? What was your teams daily Paris per diem?

IMO $25k isn't out of line at all, maybe cheap (having raced it myself over 25 times and done at least 10 B1k race rental teams on bikes I have a fair idea).
Our program last year was $40k for a bike.
1 rad race bike, 5 racers, 9 prerun bikes, 4 trucks, 5 truck drivers/crew, 13 days, and all that goes into it except entry fee.
Not a detour to Paris, Lord Black, or Amnesia for any of the gang.

 

[nimrod]

Just FYI Trophy Truck teams spend well into 6 figures including prep.

 

[Bro_Gill]

I think if you really pinched pennies, really did it cheap, and didn't pay for any of the supporters short of maybe a dinner and fuel for the actual chase race day, you might be able to pull it off for 10-12k on a loop race. You might be able to do it even cheaper if you can provide a motor home and/or camping trailer and guys don't mind sleeping cheek to cheek with a couple chase trucks thrown in for a loop race. But just fuel and entry takes you up to 5-6k without even trying.

 

[desertspeed]

I raced the 1000 last year in my truck. Very much on a budget, and with all volunteers who paid their own way in exchange for a ride in the truck. Also, due to time constraints we weren't able to prerun, so take that into consideration. We pitted with BFG, and I also run pump gas so that was a big cost savings as well.

If you exclude the vehicle and prep costs, it can be done for less than 10K easily, especially a loop race. Get good volunteers/chasers who know Baja and a good chase plan. Stay at the RV park at Estero Beach, where there is plenty of room to work on the vehicle and spread out.

 

[DanMcMillin]

Baja 1000 pit meetings are fun, too.

 

[dan200]

There are place/ways to save money here and there and race Baja.

There are far fewer places/ways to save money and race Baja and be competitive.

Winning in Baja requires a substantial investment of both time and money. If you wanna just run and finish that's one thing. If you want to run in a big competitive class like class 10, and have a shot at winning, it is a totally different thing. Then there is the unlimited class. To be competitive there, you need what I call "fah-q money".

 

[BigTallBastard]

I know ! If you have to ask you probably can’t afford it, but ....
What’s everyones minimum ballpark budget for a thousand mile race in Baja in a full size car or truck?
Minus the initial car cost and prep etc.
Im talking about....
Racer entry fee Co driver fee
Gas for race car averaging 10 mpg
Gas per chase vehicle per day
Room and board per person per day
Who pits with who and why, BFG, locos etc.

We’re looking to enter this years race. Potentially class 2k, full size stock, 7200, utv.
Not sure yet but we’re strongly leaning towards class 2k or full size stock as a finish alone would be a class win .




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TT and SpecTT about $120 bucks per mile after you own the race car. Class 1 can't be much different. Race cars don't get 10mpg the get 4 or 5. TT and Spec get 1.7-2mpg. Chase trucks get 8-12mpg. You can say "well we don't race TT". No sweat cut it in half, $60 per mile. 850 mile long Baja 1000 loop race is $51,000. No getting around it that's what it costs.